Tim Racki knew going into last week’s contest that he would face a significant task in stopping Badgers defensive lineman commit Jamel Howard Jr.
Racki and his Nazareth Academy program faced Marist High School last week. Several characteristics popped out to the coach on film about Howard.
“It's the pure strength and his explosion, his power and his ability to not only move or to consume two gaps or just to completely dominate and blow up a double team,” Racki said after a 31-3 loss to the RedHawks. “So we knew we had to have at least two guys on him as much as possible to try to contain him. If not, just try to run away from him if he was being that disruptive.
“Their entire front seven is a load, so it's almost like pick your poison. But with Howard, we attempted and we didn't do so well because of his ability. And he is not only strong, but he’s fast, athletic. Has incredible hand-fighting skills on the defensive line. Keeps tremendous leverage, so just for his size, the athleticism and the speed and the technique, you could tell he's just a complete player. He's ready to play at the next level right now, in my opinion.”
People are also reading…
Howard sits with 12 tackles, two for loss, and a fumble recovery through three games for Marist High School (2-1), according to MaxPreps.com. That tackle total ranks third on the team through the first three games.
BadgerExtra watched Howard during the RedHawks’ season-opener against Glenbard West last month, and the stout lineman certainly displayed why the UW coaching staff recruited him.
Hustle pays off
What really stood out about Howard’s game in late August was his ability and willingness to continually play to the whistle. That will be seen throughout many of these upcoming snaps.
The first play that sticks out from watching Howard was a key third-down tackle for loss. Glenbard West ran a jet sweep to the left, but watch how Howard — at a listed 6 foot 3 and 320 pounds, works quickly off the snap and makes the play in the backfield.
Glenbard West offensive lineman Chris Terek, one of Howard’s future teammates at UW, praised the pursuit to the ball.
"We were running jet sweeps," said Terek, a four-star recruit by Rivals. "Usually we leave the interior guys alone. (Howard) was hawking our dudes on the jet sweeps. He was moving, and he's 320, 330 (pounds). He's huge.”
The second rep also showcases Howard’s ability to continue through the whistle and nearly getting to the play, but what may stand out more here lies in the fact that Howard moved well and did not succumb to the warm conditions on the field.
Racki mentioned Howard's athleticism stood out the most even with his imposing size.
“But when you watch him live, I think, especially with younger kids that are that big, it usually takes them a while or when they get to the next level, to really learn the hand fighting techniques,” Racki said. “Keeping that leverage, being sound and also having enough endurance to last through a couple of quarters, and his endurance for this early in the season was very impressive.
“But just more so, what stands out live is the athleticism and the power of explosion even when you try to double team him.”
Power to push back
These next clips do not show Howard making the plays in the backfield; however, he provides a handful for opposing linemen at the prep level.
The three-star recruit pushes No. 74 back a yard behind the line of scrimmage and nearly gets to the ball-carrier. The second and third reps again demonstrate Howard’s ability to move players a yard or two back.
Swim move intriguing
This was an interesting find while rewatching the 45-50 clips of Glenbard West and Marist from that late August contest. I noticed Howard doing this particular move during pregame warmups but did not think much of it at the time.
The first clip highlights how he can shed a blocker quickly on that play with that move, then the linebacker cleans up to make the tackle right behind him. The second play above goes away from Howard with the wide receiver screen, but he again blows past the lineman with that move, then pursues where the ball is going.
What’s next at UW
Howard said after the season opener that the Badgers foresee him on the interior of the defensive line.
“They want me to play nose there, but honestly with Wisconsin, they interchange a lot, so I'll be playing a little bit of everything,” he said.
The recruit’s size stands out immediately, but how defensive line coach Ross Kolodziej continues to mold the commit will be worth watching in the years to come, especially with pad level and holding gaps at the Power Five level.
It appears Howard already has a strong bond in place with the UW assistant.
“Honestly, coach Kolodziej, he’s been like that uncle to me,” Howard said. “He's been really good to me. I appreciate him for being honest with me at all times.”